The present disclosure relates to a connector in which, by the engagement of a pair of connecting protrusions provided on a first connector housing and a pair of lock pieces provided on a second connector housing, the connector housings are locked to each other in a fitted state.
FIG. 8 shows a connector disclosed in JP-A-2006-286462. A connector 100 includes a first connector housing 110 and a second connector housing 120.
The first connector housing 110 includes a first terminal accommodating part 112 having a tubular shape with a bottom portion which accommodates first terminal metal fittings 111, and connecting protrusions 114 protruded from a pair of outer surfaces of the first terminal accommodating part 112 that face towards opposite directions.
The second connector housing 120 includes a second terminal accommodating part 122 which is fitted to the first terminal accommodating part 112, second terminal metal fittings not shown in FIG. 8 which are held in the second terminal accommodating part 122 and connected to the first terminal metal fittings 111, and a pair of lock pieces 124.
The pair of lock pieces 124 are placed on the periphery of the second terminal accommodating part 122 to engage with the connecting protrusions 114 when the first terminal accommodating part 112 and the second terminal accommodating part 122 has engaged. In the connector 100 shown in FIG. 8, the first connector housing 110 and the second connector housing 120 are locked in a fitted state by the engagement of the pair of connecting protrusions 114 with the pair of lock pieces 124.
The lock piece 124 in the connector 100 shown in FIG. 8 includes an elastic piece 1242 extending from the base end side (in FIG. 8, right end side) towards the distal end of the second terminal accommodating part 122, and a disengaging arm 1243 which extends from the distal end 1242a of the elastic piece 1242 to the base end side of the elastic piece 1242. The elastic piece 1242 has an engaging hole 1241 at a position close to the distal end 1242a. The connecting protrusion 114 is engaged to the elastic piece 1242.
The distal end of the disengaging arm 1243 (upper side in FIG. 8 for reference) connected to the elastic piece 1242 is provided with an operating part 1244 for a pressing operation. When the operating part 1244 is pressed down in the arrow F1 direction in FIG. 8, the disengaging arm 1243 rotates as a lever, and the distal end 1242a of the elastic piece 1242 is displaced in the arrow F2 direction in FIG. 8. When the distal end 1242a of the elastic piece 1242 is displaced in the arrow F2 direction with a predetermined distance, the connecting protrusion 114 is detached from the engaging hole 1241 in the elastic piece 1242. Since the disengaging arm 1243 (lower side in FIG. 8 for reference) is similarly operated, the connecting protrusions 114 and the lock piece 124 are disengaged.
The pair of lock pieces 124 are disengaged from the connecting protrusions 114 respectively in a state that the connector housing 110 and the connector housing 120 fit with each other in the connector 100, and then the first connector housing 110 and the second connector housing 120 are moved in a separating direction respectively, thereby the first connector housing 110 and the second connector housing 120 can be separated.
In the connector 100 described in JP-A-2006-286462, to release the engagement of the first connector housing 110 and the second connector housing 120 for maintenance or the like, the pair of connecting protrusions and the pair of lock pieces must be disengaged at the same time by pressing the pair of operating parts 1244 shown in FIG. 8 at the same time.
In other words, it takes efforts to release so that operations in maintenance may be delayed.